Karate family: Mary Farren is a 5th dan black belt and master. She is pictured with her son Robert Farren.
When you picture an elderly woman, do you imagine frailty?
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A women sitting in a chair knitting, playing bingo or perhaps even feeding some birds in a park?
Do you assume an elderly woman to be harmless?
Well not Mary Farren; she's become a karate master at 89 after a two-decade self-defence journey — pity the person who tries to snatch her handbag.
While she’s had to slow down a bit because of her age, she doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon.
“Because if at my age you don’t keep going, you stop, because your body just seizes up if you don’t use it,” she said.
She’s been at the club long enough to see children leave when they grow out of their interest in karate, only to come back with their children — an intergenerational community.
On one occasion Mrs Farren brought her grandchildren to karate and was watching the class when her son Robert Farren suggested she join in.
She did — and hasn’t looked back.
Mrs Farren achieved her 5th dan in Taekyon Karate on November 21.
She’s been working towards the title of master since starting martial arts in 1997, aged 64.
“I wasn’t going for fifth but they put me in for it,” she said.
Master: Mary Farron’s official 5th dan certificate.
Mrs Farren used to go to various karate classes seven days a week with her son, who is a 6th dan grandmaster at Taekyon Karate.
Mrs Farren’s sons and grandsons struggled to keep up with her enthusiasm and energy, telling her “you don’t have to go at 100 miles all the time”.
Besides the classes in Shepparton, Mrs Farren and her family would take part in martial arts in Kyabram, Mooroopna, Katandra, Wangaratta and Toolamba.
“We were spreading ourselves around,” Mr Farren said.
“Most of the time, wherever I’ve gone she comes with me.”
Mrs Farren has scaled back to two days a week now and trains in tai chi on a Monday and attends self-defence class on Thursdays.
But she still goes to any other seminars or classes Taekyon Karate holds.
On Wednesdays and Fridays, Mrs Farren does weight training and attends art class on a Thursday afternoons.
“She is an inspiration to all the people within the martial arts system known as Taekyon Karate,” Mr Farren said.
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